Foundations

 December 13, 2023

“The wicked bend their bow, 

They make ready their arrow on the string, 

That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 

If the foundations are destroyed, 

What can the righteous do? 

The Lord is in His holy temple, 

The Lord’s throne is in heaven; 

His eyes behold, 

His eyelids test the sons of men…

For the Lord is righteous, 

He loves righteousness; 

His countenance beholds the upright.”

Psalm 11:2-4, 7 

Written more than 3,000 years ago, these words reveal that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We have modern technology, conveniences and comforts that even kings back then couldn’t imagine, but the human heart remains deceitful and desperately wicked, as Jeremiah reminds us. 

Those in high places pretend to be working for the benefit of the common man, but behind closed doors the broker deals to keep themselves in power. Secretly they shoot at the upright in heart, deliberately working to destroy the foundations of society, knowing that fear, unrest, and uncertainty are convenient and powerful tools for the controlling of the masses. The question confronting us is the one asked here: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The question is not only asked, it is answered: “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold…the Lord is righteous.” Ordinary people have a choice. We can wring our hands in despair, make ourselves sick with worry, or we can fix our gaze upon the Lord who still sits upon the throne of justice. It’s so easy to commiserate with others about all that’s wrong in the world, but doing so doesn’t make anything right. On the other hand, if my gaze is fixed upon the Lord and his righteousness, I can align myself with him, become one of the upright over whom he watches with tender care. If I believe God is righteous and that he is in control, instead of fretting, I will myself follow righteousness, becoming part of the answer to the question of what to do when the foundations crumble. 

I can’t fix the world; I can’t even fix myself. But I can point to the sure Foundation when I see someone whose foundations are collapsing beneath the weight of a life too heavy for them. Jesus is that sure Foundation.